The Sin of Prayerlessness

I'm going to share my notes from our Prayer Revival, but I wanted to tell you about our visit with Uncle Tommy today.

Uncle Tommy missed our family reunion yesterday because he was in the hospital for a procedure he had done recently. Uncle Tommy is hilarious. He has such a sense of humor and we enjoyed our visit with him, although he was sick on his stomach.


Anytime you get around Uncle Tommy, there's a guarantee for laughter. Those poor nurses don't know what to think of him, I'm sure.


And he's always up for a hug! We love him bunches and are praying he gets to come home soon.


After visiting Uncle Tommy, we went to another floor to visit Celine and Carissa's grandmother. Amanda was there with her sister-in-law. She was so tired. Bless her heart. Her mother has been dealing with cancer and the doctors told the family today that there is nothing more they can do. They just want to make her comfortable. Please remember this family in your prayers if they cross your mind. They're really going to need those prayers in the days to come. Mrs. Wanda is on her way to Heaven. We can praise the Lord for that. But the family being left behind is bearing a heavy burden.

We began our third service of the Prayer Revival with Brother Benny Beckum.

He really knows his Bible on prayer. It's amazing what he'll point out in verses you've probably read a hundred times. Anyway, here are tonights notes:

I Samuel 12:19-23 "And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king. And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart; And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain."

James 4:17 "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin."

It is a sin not to pray. It is this sin that is destroying our churches, our homes, and our lives.

Our churches are doing everything but praying. We have numerous ministries, but we're not praying. A church, a home, and a nation without prayer will be weak, regardless of how many outreach ministries they have. When you neglect the very thing that is the most important thing, you have no strength. Prayerlessness is a sin against our fellow man.

You cannot be an effective soul winner, Pastor, Sunday school teacher, etc, without a prayer life.

I Timothy 2:1 "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men: For kings, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlines and honesty."

We are to pray for our leaders. It's a sin not to.

Pray for the unsaved. We are not commanded to pray for them, but it is God's desire that we pray for them. Romans 10:1 "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved." Do you believe in Hell? When is the last time you prayed for someone going there?

Pray for other Christians. Ephesians 1:17-19 "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power." It's OK to pray the Scripture for your church and other Christians. What better words to pray?

Ephesians 3:14-17 "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole familiy in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in love." Are you rooted and grounded in love? Let go of bitterness. You cannot have a prayer life if you are harboring bitterness.

Brother Beckham was saying that in every church he goes into, he'll read the church covenant, which is usually hanging on a wall where anyone can read it. He'll go through all the "dos and don'ts" of the covenant and it's "do this, do that" and "don't do this, don't do that" but no where on that covenant does it say you must pray. Pastors are telling their choir members that they can't sing if they have a one inch split in their skirt. They can't teach Sunday school if they go to movie theaters. They can't work a bus route if they don't have hair cut above the ears. They are church disciplining members for living in open sin, but the sin of prayerlessness is evident in "good members" lives and yet no discipline is taking place.

Something to think about, huh?